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How to Lose Weight Using Sensa & eDiets

The fight to lose weight is not an easy one. After all, if dropping excess pounds was easy, then everyone would be doing it. The best way to approach this obstacle is to not only find a method that works for you but involves a combination of effective approaches. Very rarely can a person experience desirable results using just one weight loss method alone. For example, the traditional combination of eating the right foods and exercising has remained the perfect duo for weight loss. However, with new program options, such as Sensa and eDiets, an individual can use both of these approaches to his/her advantage to make the most and gain maximum results.

When done right, combining Sensa and eDiets is a great way to transform your body into something you won’t be afraid to show off during the summer months.

As explained previously, the Sensa weight loss program merely requires a person to sprinkle the Sensa flakes onto each meal before eating. eDiets rely on the method of customizing meal plans and having the food items delivered fresh to a person’s home. These two weight loss solutions have the ability to work hand-in-hand together. For example, an individual hoping to lose “X” amount of pounds within a set time frame (let’s say 5-6 weeks) can turn to eDiets to find out exactly what type of meal plan would be right for their current height, weight, age and other lifestyle factors. Once the person begins receiving the meals at home, the Sensa flakes can then be sprinkled onto the meals, which prevent overeating and curbs hunger pangs by telling the brain when to signal the body to stop eating.

Using this particular combination gives a person the opportunity to not only learn how to eat healthier and stick to a more nutritional diet but also incorporates the ability to control eating habits. Between the two, dropping the weight is possible and when each program is followed properly, an individual has the chance to experience significant weight loss over a period of time that does not involve using any unhealthy methods or quick fix solutions.

Additional Ideas for Weight Loss

Relying solely on a weight loss program or system is not the only way to slim down. There are a score of other alternatives that can act as supplemental efforts to increase one’s chances for success. While some people have no problem meeting their weight loss goals, others need much more support and extra effort to be successful. If you want to make sure that you’ve exhausted all options, the following ideas below are worth looking into. Keep in mind, the key to losing weight and keeping it off must only incorporate actions that are healthy for the body. No shortcuts…no exceptions!

Educate Yourself

No one says you have to be a weight loss and fitness guru in order to understand what it takes to lose weight, but when you take the time to be your own mini expert on these topics, you’ll find that the steps you take in your own efforts will make much more sense. Don’t just research ways to lose unwanted pounds, either. Amp your knowledge on this subject by educating yourself about how human metabolism works, what factors make it perform optimally and which factors cause it to slow down and result in weight gain. Read up on the importance of nutrition—find out which food items you must have in your daily eating regimen and which ones to avoid. All of these aspects, among others, will contribute to your weight loss efforts in a positive and effective way.

There are tons of online information and resources available that describe weight loss concepts in a very easy to understand way. All it takes is one simple online search and within seconds you’ll have a bounty of search results at your fingertips. From general, informative articles and forums to online communities and medical websites, there are a variety of ways to go about obtaining the answers to your questions.

The Internet isn’t the only resource that contains information and insight about weight loss and how to control your eating habits. Head to the local library or bookstore and find out what the latest books are that deal with this topic. There are a number of fitness and health experts that have penned very informative and educational content to help motivate people to get into the best shape possible. Many of these titles even contain detailed meal plans, exercise routines and other in-depth guides that you’ll be able to begin implementing into your lifestyle.

When all else fails, talk to your doctor. He/she would know better than anyone what your next steps should be when it comes to weight loss. Find out if your doctor can refer you to a dietician or nutritionist, who has the ability to help you lay out a specific plan to follow so that you’ve got all your bases covered. When talking to these experts, ask any and all questions you may have. Don’t leave until you have a complete understanding of the information given to you.

Develop a Support System

Losing weight is hard. Even dropping those first 5-10 pounds is a struggle for many and the journey to get from point A to point B can become very frustrating and stressful. What better way to guarantee that you stay motivated and encouraged than by having a strong support system behind you? No one says you have to go about this process alone. When tackling this obstacle, confide in your friends, family members and other loved ones. Let them know that you want to do right by your body and what your weight loss goals are. It is vital that the people in your support system truly have your best interest at heart and will only provide positive reinforcement. If you have anyone in your life that tends to second guess, criticize or provide a strong opinion about the decisions you make, do not include these people in your support group.

The buddy system continues to be one of the most effective ways of improving the odds of success in terms of weight loss. Find one or two people that are willing to be by your side every step along the way. For example, surround yourself with people that will remind you to “eat this, not that” and help you stick to healthier choices when dining out, preparing meals at home and grocery shopping. Since exercise plays another crucial role in weight loss, find a friend that will make the time to work out with you. You don’t have to be an avid gym goer, either. The buddy system for exercise can qualify as taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood or during a lunch break at work.

In addition to having your own support system readily available at home, there are also online support groups, where you can connect one-on-one with others that are going through the same experiences as you are. Having this type of connection not only allows you to come into contact with others that know where you are coming from, it also gives you the opportunity to share your story and celebrate each milestone met with others that know firsthand the importance of such accomplishments.

Create a Food Diary

There is a right way and a wrong way to keep a food diary. For the best results, use your diary to discuss your feelings and experiences as well as keeping track of the foods you’ve eaten that day. Many people abuse food diaries by filling the pages with an obsessive list of the calories they’ve consumed and charting how much they weigh throughout the day. Instead of this approach, use your food diary to talk about how you’re feeling from day to day. Include instances where you may have skipped out on a meal, chose to eat something unhealthy or simply had a binge-fest. However, don’t bash yourself about these occurrences—simply write about how you will do better and what actions you need to take in order to make sure those mistakes don’t happen again.

At the end of your weight loss journey, go back and read what you’ve written. This is a great way to see how much progress you’ve made and the way your outlook on life and your self esteem overall has improved.

Little Lifestyle Changes

The goal of losing weight is not just limited to dropping the pounds but keeping them off as well. Making little lifestyle changes is often necessary to motivate you maintain your results. After all, you didn’t go through all that trouble and hassle just to gain the weight back, right?

Because the thought of changing a person’s daily routine can be very intimidating, the key here is to make small changes and/or adjustments along the way.

One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by making better choices when grocery shopping. Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Sure, you may have heard this over and over since childhood but incorporating more fruits and veggies really is the simplest way to turn your eating habits around for the better. Indulging in these food items as snacks in between meals not only keeps you full, it supplies your body with much needed levels of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that keep you in tip top shape on both the inside as well as the outside. Instead of reaching for soda, coffee, energy drinks and other sugary beverages, learn how to make water your best friend. For a little flavor, choose fruit juices that contain natural ingredients and little to no artificial flavoring.

Become your own personal chef by making it a habit to prepare your home cooked meals from scratch, instead of those in a box. You don’t have to be Julia Child to get this done, either. Pasta, roasts, sandwiches, salads and even desserts can easily be put together using a variety of ingredients that don’t require much prep or cooking time. Preparing meals in this way is much healthier for you because the fresh ingredients ensure that you’re consuming the highest levels of nutritional benefits contained in each one. Boxed meals may include vegetables and/or fruit but typically lose the majority of its nutritional value during the processing stage.

Aside from lifestyle changes involving the foods you eat, you can also make changes in other areas, too. Squeezing exercise into a person’s schedule isn’t always easy, especially if an individual is already dealing with a hectic routine. However, this shouldn’t be used as an excuse to skip out on staying physically active in some shape or form. Even those that spend the majority of their time in a cubicle have the chance to keep their bodies in peak condition. Do you tend to spend most of your time hunched over in front of your work computer? Schedule mini breaks every 2-3 hours, where you physically get up from your desk and take a brisk walk around the office. Or, if you’d prefer to not leave your work area, you can do a series of easy stretches right in your work space. This not only gets your body up and moving, it gives your eyes a break from staring at the screen. Giving your body a mini workout frequently throughout the day is great for preventing soreness, stiffness and strain that is typically experienced by those that work a 9-5 job in an office environment.

Another way to implement exercise into your workday includes choosing the stairs over the elevator. Instead of spending your entire lunch hour at a sit-down or fast food restaurant, devote half of this time to eating and the other half to taking a brisk walk around the facility outdoors. Get your other coworkers to join in and schedule a daily or weekly lunchtime walk. Bring a change of shoes, if needed. Setting up this type of event gives you the ability to fit exercise into your busy schedule—not to mention the chance to gossip with your coworkers about the latest happenings in their lives.

Food Selection & Meal Plans

Because food plays a huge role in losing, gaining and maintaining weight, it is vital that a person understands how to make the right choices when dealing with the foods they eat. When you know which foods are a must in your daily eating regimen and which ones to only indulge in occasionally or eliminate altogether, this makes it much easier to continue losing weight in a way that is healthy and provides long-term results.

Foods for Natural Weight Loss

Believe it or not, certain food items have the natural ability to help a person lose weight. Knowing what these super foods are should be among one of your first steps in changing your eating habits for the better. The following foods are among the many that effectively burn fat as well as encourage an optimally functioning metabolism.

Pumpkin: Traditional, canned pumpkin is loaded with high levels of fiber, which are ideal forweight management purposes and only contains 40 calories. For those that enjoy eating fresh pumpkins, virtually every part is rich in nutrients. Pumpkin seeds in particular, contain iron, magnesium and phosphorus, while the pulp is high in vitamin A, B6 and C.

Grapefruit: This tart fruit has the ability to fight fat and even has medical studies to back up the

findings. Studies show that eating half of a grapefruit (it is best to choose real grapefruit over grapefruit juice or capsules) before eating a meal resulted in noticeable weight loss over time. Additionally, this super fruit has the power to fight cancer due to its high levels of lycopene and liminoids.

Beef (Grass-Fed): The keyword here is “grass-fed.” Instead of being afraid of beef, consumingthis type is perfect for weight loss because the protein in the beef has the ability to stimulate the metabolism, which prevents the tendency to overeat and allows a person to feel fuller longer. As an added benefit, grass-fed beef does not have any hormones, antibiotics or steroids, making it a much safer and healthier choice.

Oatmeal: Oats work in very much the same way as grass-fed beef in the sense that eating thisparticular food item will cause you to feel full by digesting slowly in the body. As simple as this action may seem, indulging in foods that keep you fuller over time means you’re less likely to reach for unhealthy snacks or consume larger portions than are necessary.

Wild Salmon: As you probably already know, wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Butwhat does that have to do with losing weight? The answer is a lot. Eating salmon aids in building muscle naturally within the body as well as decreasing belly fat. When it comes to burning calories effectively, the more muscle you have, the better.

Chiles: Like your foods spicy? Then add some Chile peppers—they’re great for boostinganyone’s metabolism, which results in natural weight loss. The heat causes what is known as the “thermogenic effect,” which allows the body to burn even more calories compared to eating traditional foods. In fact, consuming Chile peppers can burn additional calories for as long as 20 minutes after the food has been digested. That’s pretty powerful!

Tarragon: A lot of weight gain is due to excessive salt intake, which often results in bloating. Tokeep this issue in check, switch your salad dressing and marinades with tarragon. This herb is an excellent salt substitute that will prevent high sodium intake and bloating. Its sweet flavor makes it ideal for use in salads and for adding flavor to bland meals.

There are many more food options available that pack a punch in terms of fighting weight gain and are perfect for turning your daily eating routine from fast food to gourmet quality.

Meal Plans: No Longer 3 Square Meals a Day

In case you aren’t aware, eating the traditional three, square meals a day is so 2005. These days, it’s all about eating more often in the effort to shed pounds—you read right—eating smaller meals frequently throughout the day are better for achieving weight loss. How is this possible? It has to do with the metabolism.

The metabolism plays a huge role in terms of weight gain, loss and maintenance. Anytime we eat or drink something, the metabolism instantly goes to work absorbing nutrients, fostering tissue development and growth, expelling waste and even overseeing the various messages to parts of the body that deal with surpluses, hunger, deficiencies and satiation. Sounds like a pretty hefty set of responsibilities, doesn’t it? That being said, can you imagine the consequences that can result when the metabolism is jeopardized in some way?For example, lack of physical activity and maintaining poor eating habits can cause the metabolism to slow down, become sluggish and allow for excessive weight gain.

What makes the 5-6 meal routine so effective is the fact that it propels the metabolism into overdrive, pushing it to continue burning calories around the clock. When this occurs, weight loss is much easier to achieve. The more food you provide your body with, the more “fuel” the metabolism has to keep productivity high. Sticking to a consistent eating regimen made up of healthy snacks in between breakfast, lunch and dinner and reducing the portions of major meals is a surefire way to curb hunger pangs, prevent unhealthy snacking and overeating. In a sense, changing over to this type of meal plan manipulates the metabolism, but in a good way.

What does an example of such a meal plan look like? The following is one of many ways you can learn how to squeeze in more meals and snacks into your daily eating routine: